Attorney's home, business hit by burglars; $1,000 reward offered

TROY -- Local and state police are investigating a pair of brazen break-ins at a laundry, along with two burglaries at the proprietor's Pleasantdale home, each on the same day.

The laundry's owner, attorney Randal Kehoe, first reported the theft of two heavy-duty washing machines from his laundry on King Street.

"Two weeks ago, two washers were were stolen," Kehoe said.

That same morning Kehoe returned to his Pleasantdale home to find $800 in wheat pennies had been stolen.

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After reporting the burglary to the State Police, Kehoe placed a posting on Craigslist offering a $1,000 reward, which he said yielded results.

"A tipster called me and said he couldn't believe someone was selling a bucket of pennies at Kellman's Recycling in Green Island that next Tuesday, March 19th," Kehoe said.

"They didn't cash the pennies in, instead they sold them for scrap."

Most recently, this past Saturday, Kehoe learned that thieves had returned to his King Street laundry at 2 am, and removed the four remaining heavy-duty commercial grade washers.

"They had at least two vehicles, a Jeep and a Bronco, and at least two lookouts," Kehoe said. "This was done with military precision."

Kehoe was able to get surveillance footage from a nearby business, which he said caught the crime in progress.

"We have a detective assigned to the case, any and all video would be a part of that investigation," said Troy police Capt. John Cooney. "We will work hard with the State Police to determine if any of the various crimes are connected in any way."

After leaving the scene of the second washing machine theft, Kehoe returned home to find he'd again been victimized.

"Upon my return home I found my home was burglarized a second time," he said. "This time they used a ladder to get to the second floor. I had thought I was safe."

State Police investigating the two break-ins at Kehoe's Pleasantdale home had no comment on the case, though he believes police recovered footage from Kellman's that could lead to a suspect.

An angry, frustrated Kehoe complained about crime on King Street, where he said a $1 million renovation on the corner for the new Bomber's Burritos location was underway.

"Two years ago I bought 32 King St., a 14-unit apartment building," Kehoe said. "The other building I own is 48-50 King St., and it used to be a barber shop and what used to be called Panther Club. The old barber shop is 46 King St., and it was going to be called the Varsity Club."

Kehoe said three months ago he decided to stop work on the Varsity Club because the street is plagued with crime.

"All I do is pick up beer cans and throw out garbage," he said. "I've had three to five people working for me at various sites where I owned property, and they all, almost all of them, have robbed me, taking copper pipes and tools, so I stopped. I don't have anyone working for me anymore. It's not worth it."

Kehoe said his reward posting on Craigslist keeps getting deleted.

"It's been deleted two or three times," he said. "Someone had even posted pennies for sale, but it was deleted."